16 replies to this topic

[Nanni Dietrich]

Until the arrival of the red-white-gold Gold Leaf livery, Lotus' works team colours were always green with a yellow stripe. A narrow yellow stripe (Lotus 25, Lotus 33), or a large one involving the car's nose (Lotus 49, Lotus 43-BRM, Lotus 38 Indycar, etc.).

 

But, occasionally they ran all-green cars, without the yellow stripe. I remember, for example imegas of all-green Lotuses in the 1962 Dutch Grand Prix, or in the 1965 Grand Prix de Pau Formula 2, etc.

 

There is a reason why they changed colours?

[2F-001]

Without looking things up (as I know I ought to on current form…) I think the yellow stripe appeared part-way through 1963, didn't it? Prior to that I understood they were always all-over colour (apart from the pinstripes along the sides) rather than for any particular races.

 

I think the yellow stripe swelling over the nose (a la 49) first appeared on the Indy car of '63.

 

Standing by to be corrected…!

Edited by 2F-001, 15 December 2015 - 09:46.

[2F-001]

A swift browse through the bookshelf suggests that Silverstone '63 could have been the first appearance of the yellow stripe on the Lotus Grand Prix Car.

 

As to 'why'… thinking back to the 29 again, Gurney's car was white with the 49-style stripe in blue to accommodate the traditional US racing colours; maybe the green'yellow livery was done to make the cars look related. A more highly-decorated car seemed to be in keeping with things at Indianapolis, so I wondered if that's where it started and Lotus then just considered the yellow accent more attractive?

 

I don't remember hearing of a specific or rationalised reason for the additional livery. Anyone?

 

I've seen suggestions that the Lotus green raised a few eyebrows at Indianapolis, where it was (is?) considered an 'unlucky' colour. Whether this is entirely true, or in any way connected to the addition of yellow, I don't know.

Edited by 2F-001, 15 December 2015 - 10:09.

[Tim Murray]

There's an earlier thread:

The yellow stripe on the Lotus 25...

This confirms that the first F1 appearance of the stripe was at the 1963 British GP, on Clark's car only, then spread to the other team cars at later races.

[Glengavel]

A swift browse through the bookshelf suggests that Silverstone '63 could have been the first appearance of the yellow stripe on the Lotus Grand Prix Car.

 

As to 'why'… thinking back to the 29 again, Gurney's car was white with the 49-style stripe in blue to accommodate the traditional US racing colours; maybe the green'yellow livery was done to make the cars look related. A more highly-decorated car seemed to be in keeping with things at Indianapolis, so I wondered if that's where it started and Lotus then just considered the yellow accent more attractive?

 

I don't remember hearing of a specific or rationalised reason for the additional livery. Anyone?

 

I've seen suggestions that the Lotus green raised a few eyebrows at Indianapolis, where it was (is?) considered an 'unlucky' colour. Whether this is entirely true, or in any way connected to the addition of yellow, I don't know.

 

I've heard that story about the yellow stripe being added to placate the superstitious locals at Indy, and also that it was Trevor Taylor's idea, based on his yellow attire.

 

edit - oops, sorry, just seen the other thread (and I even contributed to it at the time...)

Edited by Glengavel, 15 December 2015 - 11:38.

[pallas1970]

and why is the yellow on the wheels a different yellow to the yellow on the nose?

[JtP2]

and why is the yellow on the wheels a different yellow to the yellow on the nose?

Magnesium primer undercoat?

[cedricselzer]

Not quite. The wheels were stove enamelled.  You could only get British Standard Colours in stoving during that period. I think the colour was Golden Yellow. The yellow stripe on the nose was painted. The closest is a VW colour. I am not going to unpack half my garage to find the code number. The F2 car at Pau was run by Ron Harris. If it did not have a stripe they either ran out of time or they had just fitted a new nose. The F2 type 35s had black roundels with white numbers. I am sure someone out there will know the reason why it was this way around.

[ensign14]

Officially the British racing colours were green with white numbers.  I am sure I read somewhere about continental scrutes being a bit sniffy about cars with black numbers on white roundels. 

[kayemod]

Not quite. The wheels were stove enamelled.  You could only get British Standard Colours in stoving during that period. I think the colour was Golden Yellow. The yellow stripe on the nose was painted. The closest is a VW colour. I am not going to unpack half my garage to find the code number.

 

For anyone who's sufficiently interested, the BS 4800 code for Golden Yellow is 08-E-51. The VW colour was a special for Beetle convertibles, it's called Yukon Yellow and their code back in the 60s was L10-009, more of a primrose colour, when you see these two shades side by side, there's quite a big difference. It's going back a long way, but I'm sure I can remember seeing more than one Green Lotus with wheels and stripe in the same shade, anyone back me up on that?

[cedricselzer]

 Actually I used paint code L13K. This was as close to the original that I could find

[kayemod]

 Actually I used paint code L13K. This was as close to the original that I could find

 

Not questioning that, you're the expert, but do you think they always used the same colour?

[Sharman]

Wasn't the first application of green with a yellow stripe the Listers? Archie's Zephyr 6 was painted in that fashion too.

[2F-001]

Wasn't the first application of green with a yellow stripe the Listers? Archie's Zephyr 6 was painted in that fashion too.

That was implied by someone in the thread that Tim linked to - above - (a livery perpetuated by the Nick Linney example in historic racing).

Edited by 2F-001, 15 December 2015 - 21:01.

[M bennett]

Where did the idea of a stripe come from? Was the first Lotus with a stripe Lotus 12 chassis #356?  It was painted red with white stripe and completed 27/8/57.

       For Voegler (on the build card) but we know to be Vogele, it looked very smart.  

       Maybe the strip idea had its roots way back in 1957.

       Mike B Adelaide 

[RA Historian]

Wasn't the first application of green with a yellow stripe the Listers?

 

Also, the mid '50s Aston Martins with their yellow accents on the nose and fender edges, as I recall.

[Sharman]

Also, the mid '50s Aston Martins with their yellow accents on the nose and fender edges, as I recall.

Yes but the Listers had a distinct stripe fore to aft, I remember (as a spotty youth) standing next to AS-B and his Zephyr when somebody who obviously knew him well said "It's a bit of a bugger when you have to paint it like that to find it in the car park old son!"

 

typo edit

Edited by Sharman, 16 December 2015 - 17:19.